Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Unwrap the chicken, remove the giblets and leave it to come up to room temperature.

Halve the leeks and rinse out any grit. Thinly slice them. Peel the garlic cloves and finely chop them. Halve the dates and discard the stones. Scatter the leeks, garlic and dates in a large casserole dish (or a roasting dish that you can cover with foil). Set the chicken on top of the leeks. Season well.

Halve the lemon and tuck one half into the cavity of the chicken with half the thyme sprigs. You can add the chicken neck from your giblet pack too, if you like, for extra richness.

Pour 400ml water into the dish. Pop a lid on the dish or cover with a double layer of foil.

Roast for 1 hr. Take the lid or foil off and roast a further 20-30 mins to brown the top. Pierce a thigh at its thickest part and check to make sure the juices run clear with no trace of pink. Roast for an extra 10 mins if you think needs it.

Rest the chicken on a board, loosely covered with foil, for 30 mins before carving. Keep the broth from the dish. Just before serving, add the zest and juice from the remaining lemon half and the leaves from the rest of the thyme to the broth. Serve the chicken with spoonfuls of the gorgeous broth and your favourite side dishes.